Puppy growls when picked up

Question
QUESTION: As stated above, my female 3 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel growls when we pick her up.  This doesn't happen all the time, more often when she is tired or getting sleepy.  She hasn't nipped at either of us, but I am worried that is what could be coming.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

ANSWER: Hi Michael;
Well, since she does it when she is tired and/or sleepy, then she is trying to be left alone.
If you know she is tired and sleepy, best to just let her rest.
I woud correct her for growling though.
I don't allow that.
To let it get started, and obey when they growl, can lead to a very spoiled litle brat later on down the line.
At three months old, she does have a large sleep requirement, so she should be played with, and then left to rest comfortably.
Charlotte

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: So how would you recommend correcting this.  I have been told to give her a sharp "NO!" when she does this, as well as rolling her over on her stomach and holding her there to assert my dominance. She does not only do this when she is tired, but when we are also moving her from an area she is not suppose to be in.  When she is trying to sleep, we do leave her alone, but it happens more often than that. Thanks again for any help you can provide.

--Michael

Answer
Hi Michael;
If you ignore the growl, does she try to bite?
My little Lhasa growls and fusses, but that is all he does.
He knows better than to do more, but he does express his opinion.
When my husband bathes him, he sits in the tub, growling and making nast faces and moving his mouth. You can tll he is cursing.LOL But he just sits there and grouses. He shows his teeth, but this is part of the naty faces.
Last wek, he pretend bit. By that, I mean, he put the side of his mouth beside my husband's hand, and moved his mouth like he was biting. the teeth went up and down, on the side of my husband's hand, but did NOT try to connect with the hand. Just his little way of being nasty. My husband laughed at him, and told him to not be such a grumpy old man.
I would ignore it, until she does nip, THEN, shew her little behind out good, and tell her she is a bad girl and can go to time out till she learns better. Then put her in a small room ( I use our hall bathroom) for about half an hour.
All the time you are taking her to the small room, you are chewing her out.
Not just a sharp "NO", but a royal chewing out.
Wha she is doing with this little growling is trying to get her bluff in on you, so she can do as she pleases.
Chewing her out will assert your dominance.
I don't agree with holding them on their back. That is what another dog does to show dominance. she knows you are not a dog, and she needs to learn YOUR ways, not you learn to punish like another dog does, besides, watch them, when one holds one down like that, and doesn't bite them. the one who dares the other one will do it over and over. they know all they are going to get is held down, and nothing more is going to happen. Let her know she will get the chewing out, nagged all the wat to the time out place, and then will have to spend some time in boredom.
After a few times in time out, when they misbehave, all you have to do is say "(their name)!!!!! Do you want to go to time out?"
And they will straighten up.
I use time out when corporal punishment is needed. I DON'T use it for everything. That has to be the bigger punishment. If you use if for every little infraction, it wil lose it's effectiveness.
If you have a Man's Best Friend near you, you might check into their puppy classes. Petsmart and Petco have obedience classes. I don't know at what ahes the trainers at the ones near you would take them. That epends on the individual trainers.
Charlotte